NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Owls field hockey squad made some history earlier Saturday afternoon. Having never before defeated a nationally ranked opponent, Bryn Mawr traveled down to 18th-ranked Christopher Newport and stunned the Captains in a thrilling 3-2 win. The Owls were able to tally three early goals on the counterattack, then play some incredible defense in the second half to outlast a Christopher Newport comeback effort and claim the one-goal win. Jasmine Peterson scored her first career goal while Hazel Miller and Sarah Chapman also scored in the first half for the Owls. Maggie Titus posted 17 saves in goal for the Owls, the second-highest single-game total of her career.

The Captains were on the offensive right out of the gate, taking three shots and forcing Titus into a quick save in the first seven minutes. However, it would be the Owls who drew first blood, storming back on the counterattack to score on their first chance of the game. After forcing a turnover on the defensive side, Maggie Barilla made a nice outlet to Novy Goetgeluk on the left wing, who then sent a brilliant long pass through the Captains' defense and toward the circle. Owls forward Izzy Robinson-Cloete was the first to get to the ball, and she was able to take a crack at the cage that onrushing Christopher Newport goalkeeper Gabi Gray was just able to get a piece of. However, the ball trickled further on towards the cage, and Peterson was able to run on to the rebound and steer the ball into the empty net to give Bryn Mawr a 1-0 lead.

Bryn Mawr continued to look for counterattacking chances into the second period, weathering several more Christopher Newport attacks before striking again just three minutes into the quarter. Earning a penalty corner after the Captains delayed a Bryn Mawr restart outside the circle, the Owls had Annick van Blerkom insert from the left of the cage. The first-year made a good pass to the near wing, and the Owls eventually moved the ball across the top of the circle to Novy Goetgeluk on the other wide. She took a couple steps in, looked up, and spotted Hazel Miller unmarked in front of the Captains' goalkeeper. Goetgeluk sent a perfectly weighted pass towards Miller, who deftly angled her stick and redirected the ball past Gray and into the back of the cage to double the Bryn Mawr advantage.

The Owls were not done there. After several more strong defensive moments, Bryn Mawr once again broke out of their own end. Sarah Chapman did a great job to draw a foul in the circle, giving the Owls another penalty corner, which van Blerkom would once again insert. This time, the first-year found Rosa Cochran on the near wing, who swung and missed, but then made a great backhand pass to Hazel Miller posted up in front of the Christopher Newport goaltender. Miller spun and sent a ball across the face of the cage that bounced off of someone's stick and into the air. Sarah Chapman was right there on the backside of the play, and the junior redirected the loose ball into the back of the cage to give Bryn Mawr a 3-0 lead just before halftime.

From there, it was all about hanging on for the Owls. Christopher Newport came out of the halftime break swinging, firing 11 shots in the third quarter alone and adding eight more in the fourth. The hosts finally broke through four minutes into the third quarter as they were able to convert a penalty stroke to get on the scoreboard and make it a 3-1 game. Bryn Mawr weathered the rest of the frame thanks to some strong defense and six more saves from Maggie Titus. Then in the fourth, the Captains were able to scratch across another goal on a nice reverse chip from Abby Asuncion.

With time winding down, it appeared at several moments as if the Captains would find the all-important late equalizer. However, Titus posted five more key saves in the fourth quarter and the Owls were able to weather each of Christopher Newport's last-ditch efforts. When the horn finally sounded on the Owls' 3-0 win, the entire bench rushed onto the field to mob Titus and the Bryn Mawr defense in celebration of the historic victory.

Once again, today's victory is the first against a nationally ranked opponent in recorded Owls history and will certainly open some more eyes in the DIII field hockey world. Bryn Mawr will look to keep the momentum going as they get right back in action tomorrow, making a stop in Fredericksburg on the way home to take on Mary Washington. Game time against the Eagles on Sunday is set for 12:00 PM.